Faculty

Richard Leiter is the Director of the Schmid Law Library and Marvin & Virginia Schmid Foundation Professor of Law. Although he assumed his current position in 2000, he had worked on the UNL law library staff years ago (1986-1988) as Public Services Librarian. He earned his undergraduate degree (with honors) in 1976 from the University of California, Santa Cruz, his J.D. in 1981 from Southwestern University School of Law, where he was an editor of the law review, and his MLIS in 1986 from the University of Texas at Austin.

Professor Lawson joined the faculty in 1978. Born in 1948, he received his B.A. from Yale University in 1970 (French) and his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1974. At Hastings, he was Executive Editor of the Hastings Law Journal. He was admitted to the California State Bar in 1974 and practiced with a San Francisco law firm from 1974 to 1976. During the 1977-78 academic year, he was a teaching fellow at the University of Illinois College of Law at Urbana-Champaign.

Professor Kyle Langvardt joined the faculty in July 2020. He is a First Amendment scholar who focuses on the Internet’s implications for free expression both as a matter of constitutional doctrine and as a practical reality. His written work addresses new and confounding policy issues including tech addiction, the collapse of traditional gatekeepers in online media and 3D-printable weapons. 

Professor Kirst joined the faculty in 1974 and is a Professor of Law. In 1970 he received his J.D. degree from Stanford Law School where he served as a member of the Stanford Law Review. He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1971 and the Nebraska Bar in 1974. He was employed as an associate by a New York City law firm from 1970-71 and served in the U.S. Navy JAG Corps from 1971-74. Professor Kirst teaches Civil Procedure, Evidence and Civil Rights Litigation.

Professor Johnson’s research sits at the intersection of administrative law, the separation of powers, and the law of democracy. His writing focuses on the ways democratic institutions, including Congress, the Presidency, and the Administrative State interact, and the ways in which the courts attempt to shape those interactions. Professor Johnson’s articles and essays have appeared in nationally recognized publications including Wake Forest Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law, Boston University Law Review, and the Harvard Law Review Blog.

Danielle C. Jefferis is the 2025-26 Schmid Professor for Excellence in Research and an Associate Professor of Law. Her scholarship examines constitutional and civil rights law, federal courts, and the law and policy of prison and detention. She has presented her research at institutions around the world, including Harvard Law School, UCLA School of Law, Hamburg Institute for Social Research, University of Strathclyde, Durham Law School, Queens University (Belfast), Duke University School of Law, Utrecht University, and others.

Professor Hoetger primarily researches how individuals make decisions regarding their legal rights, especially in the areas of criminal law and procedure. She is especially interested in applications of the Fourth Amendment, studying how expectations of privacy are evolving and how courts’ approaches to searches might need to change in response to new technological developments. Professor Hoetger uses her background in psychology to inform her research and utilizes empirical methods to help address the behavioral assumptions courts make. 

Sydney Hayes joined the faculty in 2023 as the Assistant Director of the First Amendment Clinic.  Prior to joining the University, she was a commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution associate at Husch Blackwell in Omaha, Nebraska.  She has experience in litigation involving complex constitutional issues and business disputes, among others.  In addition to her work with the University she continues to practice at the Law Office of Daniel Gutman.  Her practice focuses on civil rights, election, and ballot initiative issues.  

Professor Chelsi Hayden joined the law faculty in 2017. She is directing and teaching in the Legal Research and Writing program and teaching advanced legal writing courses. Her research focuses on Evidence, Legal Methods, Legal Writing, and Learning Theories. In addition, she often writes for the Kansas bar.

Prior to coming to Nebraska Law, Professor Hayden was a Clinical Professor of Law at the University of Kansas, where she taught predominately litigation focused classes—Evidence, Lawyering Skills, Advanced Legal Writing, and legal-skills simulation workshops.  

Daniel joined the law school in 2023 as the Director of the First Amendment Clinic. He received his B.A. from American University and his J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law. After law school, Daniel served as a law clerk to the Honorable John M. Gerrard, U.S. District Judge for the District of Nebraska. He then spent several years in private practice litigating commercial disputes, constitutional claims, and election law matters. In addition to his work at the Law College, Daniel manages a small law firm specializing in civil rights and election law. 

Professor Emeritus Frank joined the faculty in 1972. He received his A.B. degree from Duke University in 1966 and a J.D. (cum laude, Order of the Coif) from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1972. From l966 to l968, he served in the Peace Corps in Libya. He was employed with the Legal Services Center for Dane County in Madison, Wisconsin, prior to coming to the University of Nebraska. For five years, Professor Frank served as Associate Dean of the College, working with financial aid, admissions and student advisement.